6 Pride And Prejudice Spin-Offs To Read Right Now

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous books on the planet – not bad for an author who never left Britain.

With very little action and absolutely no sex, the plot doesn’t scream ‘modern best seller’ but, like thousands of others, I’ve fallen in love with Jane Austen’s romantic classic.

4 Ways Children’s Literature Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations About Life

I had an adventurous childhood. I flew with dragons, scaled beanstalks and met a whole zoo’s worth of talking animals.

When I pulled my head out of a book, real life was fun but more… mundane. My friends and I never foiled gangs of international smugglers and the back of my wardrobe remained disappointingly solid (I know because I checked).

As I got older, I realised that good parenting might be the cause. Lake-side holidays involved lifejackets and supervision instead of Swallows-and-Amazons-style neglect.

Taking Turkish Delight from witches was also a big no. I’d been given the stranger danger talk and, unlike Edmund, I’d listened. 

Now that I’m in my 30s and “adulting” I’ve had to look reality in the face; I’ll never ride a sparkly unicorn into battle and wouldn’t want to anyway.

18 of the best opening lines in literature

What makes a great first sentence? Explosions, romance, love or hate?

I recently read Anna Burns’ Milkman and the amazing opening blew me away. I realised that the first line can make books famous or ensure readers put them down almost as soon as they pick them up.